Galactia wrightii
Galactia erecta
Wright's milkpea
erect milkpea
procumbent proximally, weakly twining distally, strongly lignescent, densely to sparsely strigose, hairs retrorsely appressed to slightly spreading.
mostly erect, not twining, usually alternately bent at nodes, (10–)20–30(–40) cm, herbaceous, glabrous or glabrate to sparsely strigose, hairs closely appressed, retrorse.
3, blades oblong-elliptic to elliptic-ovate, 15–48 × 5–18 mm, herbaceous, veins not raised, apex rounded to obtuse or shallowly retuse, surfaces moderately to densely strigose-sericeous and glaucous abaxially, sparsely to densely short-strigose-sericeous with closely appressed hairs to pubescent with soft, spreading-erect hairs, sometimes strigose to glabrous, adaxially.
3, blades oblong or narrowly oblong to narrowly elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, (15–)25–40(–50) × 7–18 mm, leathery, veins closely reticulate (areoles isodiametric) and raised on both surfaces, with a thickened, continuous, marginal vein, apex rounded to obtuse, sometimes retuse, surfaces glabrous.
flowers (2–)5–18(–30) in pseudoracemes, usually in fascicles, axis rarely 10 mm and 2- or 3-flowered;
axis (10–)35–200(–250) mm.
axillary, subsessile fascicles, flowers solitary and axillary or 2–6 in reduced pseudoracemes.
calyx 5–7 mm, loosely short-strigose to hirsute-pubescent, lobes greenish yellow to tan on inner surface when dry;
corolla not persisting after anthesis, pink to purple-rose to lavender, lighter when dry, 11–12 mm.
calyx 5–6 mm, short-strigose;
corolla pale purple to white, 7–8 mm.
straight, 25–50 × 4–5 mm, moderately to densely strigose to strigose-sericeous.
straight or falcate, 20–40 × 5–8 mm, densely hirsute.
(3–)5–9.
6–10.
Galactia wrightii
Galactia erecta
Galactia wrightii is characterized by twining stems, mostly oblong-elliptic leaflets with glaucous abaxial surfaces, relatively long inflorescences with numerous flowers and relatively large corollas, and strigose-sericeous fruits. The type of var. mollissima is a plant with vestiture more spreading than normal; such variants are scattered through the range in Arizona, as cited by Kearney and Peebles, as well as in Texas.
Plants in southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona (especially the Huachuca Mountains but not the Chiricahua Mountains) tend to have reduced vestiture; the leaves are sometimes completely glabrous. Such plants extend southward in Mexico along the Chihuahua-Sonora border region. Intermediates are numerous, especially in Arizona, and no distinct boundary seems evident. In Texas, G. wrightii is known from four counties of the trans-Pecos and Big Bend regions.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Galactia erecta is distinct in its erect habit, slender rhizomes, subsessile leaflets, and flowers in axillary-sessile clusters. In Florida, G. erecta is restricted to the northern counties, and in Texas it is found only in six eastern counties.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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